Almamy
New York City, New York, United States | MAJOR
Music
Press
New York City’s Almamy makes a risky debut by reinterpreting Daft Punk‘s legendary ballad Digital Love.
At first, I must admit, I nearly wrote this release off. I found myself wondering how anyone could go about covering a Daft Punk song? Not as in How dare they?! but more as to the actual approach. I wish not to think upon the vastitude of Daft Punk “remixes” I’ve heard in my day, most of which are nothing more than a re-hash, imposing the trite sound palate of that moment’s blog hype. But yet those who wish to do it earnestly face the same discouragement as anyone wishing to take on a classic, timeless piece of work. So ask yourself: how does one pay homage to these living legends without disrespecting their work, even unintentionally? By completely reworking and reinterpreting it.
THAT is when I came to open my mind and revisit this release. Almamy’s subtle genius is just that: subtle. Those none the wiser wouldn’t be keen to realize it’s a Daft Punk cover at first. Yet the whole song is an amalgamation of mini-tributes to the original, all the while creating an all-original tune, purposefully avoiding riffs or hooks from Daft Punk’s version. The initial contrast of the mechanized funk of the bass line and the found-sound off-kilter percussion against the all too soft, incredibly human, high-pitched vocals of Almamy (not unlike Prince) is a beautiful realization of the age-old machine vs. human love affair, mechanical vs. organic.
The song is stripped for maximum effect, progressively building loops under Almamy’s gentle vocals, eventually breaking down for a very sexual whisper why don’t you play the game? before soaring into a wild, bit-crushed instrumental electro build up – a clear reference to the original’s epic synth solo and it’s singable lead up. The song appears very simple upon first listen, and that’s the point. The most beautiful work, I’ve found, manages to appear simple yet is very complex and calculated. - High On Beats
In this Daft Punk cover, Almamy's quirky, breathy vocals flex powerfully atop a mechanical beat that increases in tempo after the vocals drop out of the original mix. An even weirder dub version rounds out the two-track release. - DJ Times
A two-tracker featuring the original and a dub version, this is a cover of Daft Punk's classic, which is all but unrecognizable, and all the better for it. After all, why try and improve on perfection when you can stretch and pull a track in as many different directions as Almamy does? It's no surprise that there's a DFA connection to this New York City release, which is an experimental, atmospheric mini-masterpiece.
- DJ Mag
Ten years on, Daft Punk's perennial classic 'Digital Love' (written with the aid of DJ Sneak, infamously sampling George Duke's 'I Love You More') gets a makeover from hip, NYC-based singer-songwriter, Almamy. Inverting the mood from jaunty disco-house to slow, grinding electro, Almamy takes little from Homem-Christo/Bangalter's original and uses his falsetto to clash with an overdriven bassline and pulverising rhythm.
- DJ Mag
Discography
Digital Love - Single (ModyWorks)
Photos
Bio
Asking you to pay attention, this unusual singer displays a sure sense of hook when he fuses his squeaky tenor, infectious pop melodies and cheeky lyrics with stripped down yet snappy electronic beats. And, of course, the sass of it all is worth the attention.
Hailing from Dakar, Senegal, Almamy started out as a dancer and actor in his early teens, performing locally until he won a scholarship to study and dance in Paris.
After relocating to New York a few short years later, to study at the famed Broadway Dance Center, Almamy found himself immersed in the club scene and writing songs. “Ballet couldn’t contain me anymore,” he recalls. “I was becoming a songwriter, I was singing and going out a lot to dance clubs, to listen to some cool electronic music.”
Collaborations with producers Peter McLean and Mike Degen followed but it was not until Almamy teamed up with guitarist and programmer Nick Holmes that he could produce, by layering his androgynous squeal of a voice and insistent melodies over skeletal instrumentation, a sound of his own.
Embodying the DIY aesthetic that is prevalent in dance music, Almamy then set up his own label, ModyWorks, to issue a series of recordings, the first of which was a twin EPs project, The Sexy Boy EP /… B.M.D. and The Sexy Boy EP /… L.Y.D. It was followed by a remixes 12” and some big releases by a growing number of artists on the roster.
Almamy is currently working on Unf**kyou, a concept project that comprises a 5- track EP, a short film and a photonovel-style comic book. The lead single, a cover of Daft Punk’s “Digital Love,” preceded the EP in the Fall of 2012, while the film and the book are set for Spring 2013 release.
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